By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU senior guard Max Mackinnon of Brisbane, Australia, deserves a Great Northern Super Crisp – Australia’s highest selling beer.
Mackinnon scored a season-high 34 points on crisp, 11-of-24 shooting with 4 of 6 from three-point range and 12 points in the second overtime as the Tigers snapped a five-game losing streak and won at Ole Miss, 106-99, in double OT Wednesday night.
The Tigers (15-13, 3-12 Southeastern Conference) won for the first time since Jan. 31 at South Carolina when they also won in OT, while Ole Miss (12-16, 3-12 SEC) lost its 10th straight game.
Mackinnon hit a layup in traffic high off the backboard for a 99-96 lead with 1:30 left for the kill shot. He hit another driving layup with 45.1 seconds to go for a 101-96 lead and two free throws for a 103-96 advantage with 34.5 seconds left. He was 6 of 7 on free throws in the second OT and 7 of 8 on the night. He was 3 of 4 from the field in the second OT – all layups with most of those in traffic as he also battled fatigue.
“Obviously, Max Mackinnon, he’s terrific,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “I’m just so happy for all our players. I guess we need to play in overtime more.”
LSU center Mike Nwoko scored 18 points with five rebounds, but fouled out in regulation, which ended at 82-82. The first overtime ended at 90-90. Robert Miller III filled in for Nwoko and finished with 12 points and five rebounds and blocked four shots. Forward Pablo Tamba scored 16 on 6-of-7 shooting with seven rebounds. Point guard Jalen Reece added 11 points with 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range and 10 assists with just one turnover. Guard Rashad King scored 13 points with 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
LSU hit 11 of 21 from three-point range and held the Rebels to 5 of 16 from long range. The Tigers also made 25 of 29 free throws to 22 of 29 by the Rebels. LSU beat Ole Miss in second chance buckets, 22-12, and in bench points with 34 to 25 and had only 10 turnovers to 22.
Ilia Kamardine scored 26 for Ole Miss, and Malik Dia had 20 with seven rebounds. AJ Storr had 19 for the Rebels, who went cold in the final minutes of regulation and through much of the overtimes.
LSU and Ole Miss looked like a pair of contenders in the first half instead of two teams at the bottom of the SEC standings as each shot over 50 percent, putting on an offensive display. There were 10 ties and eight lead changes at the break with 16 ties and nine lead changes for the game.
The Rebels stretched the nip-and-tuck game out for a 33-26 lead with 5:28 remaining in the first half, but the Tigers roared right back on a 10-2 run and took a 36-35 lead with 3:26 to go on a short hook by Mackinnon.
Mackinnon was on fire in the first half, hitting 4 of 5 from three-point range and 6 of 10 overall for 18 points. Miller started instead of Nwoko at center, but Nwoko came in quickly and scored eight points with three rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.
LSU took its first lead since late in the first half in the second overtime at 94-92 on – you guessed it – Mackinnon for a 94-92 advantage with 3:49 to play, and he was fouled. He made the free throw for a 95-92 lead.
Miller later hit two critical free throws with 2:17 left for a 97-94 lead before Mackinnon’s clutch layup off the top of the window.
“Max did so many things well,” McMahon said.
And now LSU has a chance to win two in a row as it plays another team near the bottom of the SEC standings in Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC) on Saturday (5 p.m., SEC Network).
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